According to renowned brain researcher Stephen Porges, one of the most helpful ways to make sure our nervous system is in a state where we feel safe and ready to connect is to make sure that the ventral branch of our vagus nerve is adequately activated. If it is not, our nervous system tends to shift either into a stressed fight/flight state, or a shut down freeze/collapse state. For those interested, there are links below for more information, but for now, all you need to know is that there are several ways to promote a ventral vagal state. I’ll keep is a link to an article on this website with more information Our vagus nerve is extremely important for sending signals of safety or danger to the brain for processing. A rolfing instructor and researcher named Stanley Rosenberg who is colleague of Stephen Porges has written a book called Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve which includes a careful explanation of the functioning of the Vagus nerve and how to reset it. Below are two videos demonstrating his exercises. Please use responsibly. Start slowly, and seek professional help if needed.
The Basic Exercise
The Salamander Exercise
Emotional Freedom Technique: 2 Simple Resets
Additional resources.
https://www.stanleyrosenberg.com/
https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/
https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/
Click here to read a post about polyvagal theory written by Northwestern interns Don Tinsley and Skylar Carl.